Bachmann's healthy prognosis

Rep. Michele Bachmann stood alone at a podium at the foot of the Capitol Thursday, blowing kisses and waving to the fawning crowd of thousands she had assembled.

The tea party rally against a Democratic-written health care bill was over, and the other lawmakers had cleared the stage. But the love affair between Bachmann and her fans was reaching its apex.

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Brushing off an aide’s reminder to go inside and vote, the fiery Minnesotan with the fierce blue eyes descended toward a crowd penned in by the stone walls of the Capitol lawn. She leaned across the barrier to grasp hands, autograph signs, kiss cheeks. This was her moment. These were her people.

“She’s exactly on TV as she is in person,” exclaimed Coca Astey, 46, of San Diego. “There is no other Michele.”

Therein lies the rub for party leaders.

They would like to capitalize on the fervor of the tea party foot soldiers, who have been quick to adopt Bachmann as an icon of their movement. But they’re wary of the movement’s fringe elements and, at times, of Bachmann, who made a name for herself last year when she called for an investigation into “anti-America” members of Congress and more recently when she referred to the Democrats’ health care plan as the “crown jewel of socialism.”

As the tea party revelers relished in Bachmann’s rising star, so, too, did the Democrats — who see the Minnesota representative’s ascension to the top of the GOP as a sign of the party’s weakness.

“If Republicans want to make Michele Bachmann the voice of the party, that’s more than fine with us. We’ll help circulate the petition,” said Democratic National Committee spokesman Hari Sevugan. “It’s their extreme right-wing, rigid ideological agenda that has Americans leaving the Republican Party in droves — and so, if displays like today are what they think is a smart political strategy, all we can say is: Go for it.”

There were signs among the roughly 10,000 protesters Thursday likely to turn off all but the most ardent supporters of the tea party movement. One referred to President Barack Obama as a “red.” A banner reading “National Socialist Health Care: Dachau, Germany — 1945” included a photograph of dead bodies piled atop one another. Another sign said that Obama “takes his orders” from the Rothschilds.

Looking out at the crowd, Republican lawmakers stood with Bachmann, locked hands and sang “God Bless America.” An event planned for one hour ran nearly two hours, as lawmaker after lawmaker pushed to the podium to address the crowd. Among the speakers who weren’t originally listed on the program: four House members — Roy Blunt of Missouri, Zach Wamp of Tennessee, Mary Fallin of Oklahoma and Nathan Deal of Georgia — who are seeking statewide office in 2010.

Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) even led the procession of lawmakers down the West Front steps of the Capitol at noon, where about 10,000 protesters were waiting.